After one round of scar revision surgery which involved undermining an existing five year old scar and padding out the area behind it with my own fat, I saw around a 60% improvement in the appearance of the scars to both of my breasts. If you’re coming in to this series cold then head to part 1 and find out what you’ve missed, or keep reading if you’re here for the part specifically about scar revision.

Basically, following a breast lift in 2012 which left me with some unusual scarring which became tethered and folded in on itself, after five years of self loathing I felt it was time to address it. I was lucky enough to have a conscientious surgeon who felt that rather than go under the knife again to create new scars and risk this happening again (which was also an option), it was worth trying a fat transfer and scar revision combined procedure. Now I didn’t rush in to this lightly, you’ll know from the previous posts in this series, particularly parts 5 & 6, that I spent a long time researching options and looking at recovery times as training and gym time are a priority for me. I also knew before I underwent my first scar revision procedure that I’d need to repeat the process for a second, and maybe even a third time for maximum efficacy.

The first procedure was an eye opener, my first major procedure under local anaesthetic – something that significantly reduces recovery time and care immediately following the procedure – and one I needed a lot of support to get through. I’m one of those people who thinks they’re experiencing pain when they see something that inflicts pain despite no sensation whatsoever, so even at my age I needed a nurse to hold my hand through the procedure. Looking back, I can see why I felt like that; being awake in an operating theatre is serious sensory overload, however it prepped me for my second stint on the table.

Returning to hospital for the follow up procedure was a lot easier. I had no nerves at all in advance of the surgery and walked into theatre feeling pretty calm and prepared. This second procedure was faster, the scars, as you know from my review appointment, had already begun to re-tether, so after the anaesthetic was administered, a pair of horseshoe scissors were used to separate the scars before fresh fat was injected into the area. The fat was taken from my abdomen, so I had been instructed not to train and not lose any weight in advance of my surgery, to ensure there’s enough of the right type of fat for the surgery, which meant that I actually had to gain weight for the first round. This time we’re using less fat as this is more about sculpting, we’ve already built the base and laid the foundation, this is more about finalising the shape.

Within 30 minutes I’m stitched up and in recovery snacking on buttered toast and tea. After my vitals are checked, I’m poured into that familiar body shaping leotard which is designed to hold everything in place following surgery. I’m instructed to keep my breasts ‘up’ with the undersides flat against the fabric as this will encourage an even distribution of the fat under the skin and stop it from ‘bunching up’ at the curve and creating an extra crease.

The difference between this surgery and the previous surgery in terms of recovery is huge. Whether it was in my head or not I don’t know, the first time I felt drained, my body hurt, I felt sore everywhere and certain movements caused pain – all things you expect following a major procedure. This time however I felt no pain at all, I woke up the next morning wondering if it had been a dream and felt well enough to go to the gym (don’t panic, I didn’t). I kept waiting for some sort of post-procedure feeling to kick in but it never did. Whether it’s because I was better prepared and knew what to expect the second time around or just that my body was already in healing mode, I don’t know, but the second time was definitely the charm.

A few weeks on, the difference is huge. The scar is way less visible, padding it out has not only improved the appearance but it’s also improved the skin quality. The scar itself is less visible because it’s less contorted and twisted, sure it still indents when I raise my arms above my head but I’ll take that. The biggest side effect to the surgery is the increase in cup size – I’ve gone from having a modest A cup to a way more generous C cup. I’ll be honest, I preferred my smaller boy boobs because they make training in the gym a breeze, but in terms of physical appearance of the scars and actual shape, this is a lot more pleasant and it should hopefully continue to improve over time as it heals.

If you’re considering having surgery, whether it’s to correct scars or for something else entirely, always do your research. When it comes to cutting open your body it’s not enough to select the closest, or cheapest provider, you need to know that the surgeon, the clinic, recovery and aftercare is a package that fits with your lifestyle and that you trust your practitioners. The CQC are on hand to give real time information about registered clinics and doctors and can guide you through the process of selecting a surgeon. I selected Aesthetic Beauty Clinic based on practitioner, aftercare, values and CQC reporting, it’s way too easy to end up a statistic these days, a whole TV genre has been built on Botched Bodies and that’s the last place you want to end up after surgery.